How many of you have either part time or full time help? How has that changed your business?

I have part time help for specific tasks. I find it very useful as it allows me to focus on the high paying aspects of the business.

I don't have an assistant but there are two support people at the office - they are not secretaries, they are just so much more - that can help me w/ stuff when I need it. but mostly I do it all myself.

My wife has been my licensed assistant for about 7 years and it has worked well for us. Many of the things she hates to do I enjoy doing and vice versa and we know each others responsibilities without even talking about it very often.
We also have a listing and closing co-ordinator supplied by our office but still do most of the co-ordinating ourselves.

Similar situation here, Summers. My DH is licensed, has sold RE, but doesn't anymore. He keeps his license hung under mine. And he is so handy sometimes! I don't do occ checks alone, especially in bad areas.

It's really nice having a reliable spouse to pitch in & help who also happens to be licensed.

I do most of the showings and listing appointments...wife will take care of all paperwork for me on listings but won't write a sales contract...she will PROOF sales contracts when I write them though and will correct me if something is not correct (figger that one out).
If somebody want to look at condos then she is my condo queen but if it is a home and especially on the lake it is my responsibility. I'm showing lake homes today (in the rain at about 40 degrees) and have my laser level equiptment with me to check a couple of homes for flood plain elevations. (and yes I use a disclaimer with clients)

That's great! Aren't we lucky to have reliable partners in life and in business?

I hired an assistant this year - she works about 20-25 hours a week. She's incredible. Not only am I less stressed and have more time to myself I also quintupled my income this year - I'm sure this is partially because I didnt have to waste my time on the things my assistant now does and was able to focus on other more lucrative activities.

@ minna: You quintupled your income by just hiring an assistant? You must have a massive lead generation system already in place for this to be the case??? What things in particular did you do to see such substantial growth in your sales? Thanks!

She's not the only reason for the increase, but a good part I'm sure. I dont have any fancy lead generation systems. Most of my business (maybe 70%) comes from my site. The traffic is not that heavy but the conversion is very high. The reason for the increase was mostly because I was able to spend a good portion of my time driving more of the right folks to my site and building a solid internet presence. Blogging consistently was key here I think. Anyway I would not have had the time to spend on that if I was bogged down with paperwork and other low producing activities that my assistant now handles.
But seriously - she is the best investment I ever made.
I make 5 times as much before and she gets about 15% of my income. Thats a huge ROI.

I don't currently have an assistant, there are some support staff at the office who are exceptional. One thing I've used a lot lately is etinkle.com to help hold my customers accountable and make sure they're prepared for appointments. I found a lot of them were always running behind, rescheduling etc. Time is money and I didn't have time to babysit :P

My business partner and I have 2 assistance but they are also Licensed Agents.

I'm amazed that Realtors offer to pay assistants to do a lot of things and pay them only $10 to $15 the hour! and they want to have assistants as real estate agents with a license of course! but they want to pay them only $10/hr! RIDICULOUS!

Look at this recent ad for an assistant, $10/hr!

But they'll be able to count on that $10 or $15 per hour for every hour that they put in, whether it is productive and creates any income to the business or not . . . . just from being there.

Sales Agents may put in the same amount of time but only receive an income IF they produce measurable (in money terms) "results". That's the difference. An hourly wage is risk-free and reliable, while commissions are a bit more fickle.

But, if it's so RIDICULOUS, probably no one will apply, right?

I suspect though, that someone else besides you will be reading the ad, and in this economy, they may have quite a few takers.

There's nothing ridiculous about a $15/hour part time job in this economy. NOTHING.

As Vermont said, it's guaranteed income for nuisance work. I see nothing to be offended or insulted by.

There is nothing ridiculous about a voluntary agreement between two parties to contract for services at a mutually agreeable price. Whatever the price.

I dont see you finding quality help for $15/hour either. You can make almost as much at mickey d's. I pay my assistant that an hour plus bonuses which have her at about $30/hour right now. Th bonuses are based on closed sales so obviously the more I close the more she'll make. She should be close to $40/hour this year.
And dont forget that is a 1099 person. They dont get benefits or anything so you have to consider that and make up for it in pay.
You get what you pay for.

I have a full time assistant.

I did not, then I would be the assistant making only $20 per hour. Learned a long time ago, if I found myself assuming tasks which could be delegated, I was at that point earning assistant pay while performing assistant's tasks.

Take the jump towards higher production. Hire an assistant. Don't be a control freak. It pays poorly.

I think it depends on your area if $15/hour is reasonable or not. If I were to hire an assistant and offered $15/hour in my area I'm sure I would have hundreds of applicants. And probably half of those would be good applicants.

I agree - this is a regional thing. Here in CT you cant get someone to roll out of bed for $15/hour.

So does McDonalds pay your Burger Flippers $50,000 a year in the Nutmeg State . . . . or are those all Illegal Aliens ?

I think Mickey d's here pays like $10/hour or so - thats min. wage as I recall. Only teens on their first gig work there.
Managers at mickeys d's make over 50k. But they are in fact slightly more qualified than the first time working 16 yr olds for the most part.
I have no interest in hiring a 16 yr old on their first gig to assist me.

My assistant is licensed, with 6 years RE sales experience, she has a ton of banking experience from her previous work ( I carry a lot of shorts and she handles most of my processing/paper pushing), shes an admin genius, and shes totally independent and knows exactly what shes doing. I dont have to babysit ever and training was minimal. She works from home on her own time and things just get done. She goes above and beyond. Shes a dream. I cant find anything like that here for $15/hour and I dont care to try.

I guess it depends on where you live and what the going rate is.

Min wage in PA is $7.25

$15 is a typical starting rate for a licensed practical nurse which is hardly a McDonald's job...

When I was a secretary 4.5 years ago, I made $8.75 an hour.

Actually the highest state minimum wage I could find on the U.S. Dept. of Labor site, as of Jan. 2011 is $8.50 an hour, for Oregon.

Nothing anywhere near close to $10.

I'd love to hire an assistant but it's not feasible in the income arena right now. If I knew, as with Minna, that getting an assistant would truly boost my income-producing productivity, I'd gladly cash in a CD to pay him or her b/c I have a difficult time focusing and completing stuff that isn't "urgent". Transactions are something I do not ignore, but getting the productivity together to get to a transaction becomes a roadblock numerous times for me.

I don't think I would disqualify the 16-year old kid. One of my friends who is a loan officer, his son, who is now around 20 yrs old or so, has been working as an assistant in a real estate office for a number of years. He's been attending college in the evenings/weekends. Apparently he's a good worker so one shouldn't write-off a teenager if you've got the right match - some teenagers actually DO want to work and learn.

Depends on the kid - went to a MacD's one time several years ago and THAT kid had the dangedest time trying to count the change he was going to give me. That's disgusting.

Its not just from "being" there, they are doing A LOT OF HARD WORK and still have to pay high fees to use MLS and keep the license.



Oh yeah right, are you saying now that its better to get paid by an hourly wage of $10 than being paid by commissions that exceed 3 times of one month's wage? If an assistant get paid $10/hr, work 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, that is $1,920! are you kidding me?

If someone is doing this for the training, its much a better option to have a mentor and give them a cut of the commission. Or even paying them a flat fee to that private mentor. But to be an assistant for $10/hr? these agents just want the assistants do the hard work like: showing properties, make fliers, being like a secretary answering the phone and setting up appointments, do cold calling and even door knocking! is this the kind of "great training" this people want to get for $10/hr? If they are getting also a cut of all the sales that broker is doing and this assistant has help with, then that is different!



It seems you are one of those that pay this CRAP and want to EXPLOIT new agents. What is ridiculous is the people that let being exploited with this crap.



Yes of course, a lot of people have no other choice than of being EXPLOITED in this economy and other people want to take advantage of that. And this is not only in real estate of course, this happens everywhere, everybody just want to take advantage of other people.

If a person has their licence and the ability to sell homes on their own, then they would have no need to be someone else's assistant. If they find that they got their licence and either are not comfortable with living only on commission or are not cut out to be an agent on their own, then having a job with a guaranteed income may suit them better. Making $10/hr working as a real estate assistant likely seems a lot better to many people than making the same amount doing other jobs that pay the same.

My question is, if people want to get a fixed amount of money every month and don't want to get paid only by commission,then why they got into real estate in the first place, if this is mostly a commission based profession? real estate agents in order to keep their license have to pay expensive fees, the board fees, the post license courses, and more courses to get credit units and able to renew their license, and have to keep going to seminars to be up to date in all the regulations and laws that change often. Its a lot of money and hard work just to get paid only $10/hr. If the person love SO much this field that prefer getting paid $10/hr than in somewhere else, then why don't work to get better paid with commissions?

It just doesn't make sense for me.

Because they get into this business thinking that they are going to get rich quick. That the commission cheques will be piling up. That it will be just like they see on TV where agents just show up looking pretty and the business all comes to them without having to do any work. Then they get into the business and realize that it is hard work and that the majority of agents are making nowhere near the types that you are seeing on TV. Then they go 6,7,8 months without making a dime.....with those dues still being paid...and realize that they are flat broke and that maybe a regular paycheque would be better for them. The industry has a huge turnover rate with most being out of the business in the first 2 years. Then they look at their options and if they can't make it as a successful agent, then maybe they can at least remain in the industry somehow and receive a steady income.

Oh, I'm by the way, if you are paying $10/hr or even less to your assistants, are you paying the respective social security, taxes, unemployment taxes, health insurance, etc. that is mandatory BY LAW?

IRS rules between Independent contractor and Employee

Because if you are paying only $10/hr but not really treating them like real EMPLOYEES, you can get sued and have to pay a lot of money to IRS.

"Consequences of Treating an Employee as an Independent Contractor:

If you classify an employee as an independent contractor and you have no reasonable basis for doing so, you may be held liable for employment taxes for that worker. See Internal Revenue Code section 3509 for more information."

Still doesn't make sense. According to your example, if a new agent is not making enough commissions to make a living, that doesn't make sense that agent will be working as an assistant for $10/hr, precisely because in order to remain an active/licensed realtor, have to pay HIGH FEES, pay classes and seminars (that add up a lot of money in the long run). So if that person is not making money, is better just quitting the profession and look to do something different, where doesn't need to be paying high fees, attend seminars, classes, and keeping a license, and still make $10/hr.

And again, if that agent wants to "learn" and grow in real estate, then that agent can do that by working under a mentor, which will take a cut of that new agent's commission.

So see? still doesn't make sense anyways.

And how I said in my last comment, are the realtors paying 10/hr are paying the respective taxes to IRS? hmm I doubt it...

Anyelina, not every assistant is licensed, though... and there are real estate agents working part time only (i.e. they have another job), so working as a part-time licensed assistant may be a pretty good deal for them... and there are women who have kids, and like to stay home with them, but don't mind extra income that they can get from home on their own time... as well as many other situations which make this a much better deal than you're making it out to be...

in any case, what does it matter? how can it be exploitation, if the person voluntarily signs a contract? they didn't voluntarily go work another similar job, but chose this particular one, and they are free to leave it if they feel that the pay is unfair...

Anyelina what you have is an OPINION of what is fair and not fair.

I wouldn't pay 15 bucks an hour.It's just too much.I am in Georgia where cost of living is really cheap.Minimum wage here is 7.25 or 7.75 I can't remember.

My agents are on a 50/50 split and if they don't like it the door is welcoming them out.I make too much money on my own investments and transactions to mess around with disgruntled agents.

That's not bad, back when I lived in Atlanta (for a very short while, granted), the minimum wage was like 4.25 or 4.50... don't know how anyone lived on that

If they are not licensed, of course its OK, and much better if they are working at home. But let's face it: that is not common, because Realtors want assistants with LICENSE and don't want assistants to stay at home, but to be out there SHOWING PROPERTIES, answering the calls at the office, etc. And by the way, if someone wants to learn from this, how can this assistant really learn by staying alone without the direct supervision from the experienced boss/Realtor?




Oh come one, when I say exploitation is not that they are "forced" and obligated to work with a gun pointing their heads, they are signing a contract but that doesn't eliminate the fact that still exploitation: performing a lot of tasks for a crappy wage.

Wow, so you make TOO MUCH MONEY but at the same time paying $15/hr is too much for you? very contradictory.

if someone wants to learn from this, it is his problem that he thought that being an assistant=protege... and those who are not happy with the arrangement leave... I'm not sure that there is an area in North America that is short on brokerages, so a person is free to go to another one if he has the license, don't you think?




I'm still trying to understand how a person who is of age and in the US legally can be exploited by someone... last time I checked the US was still a free country (well, if you stay out of the airports ;)), so the person is free to leave if the wage is crappy in his eyes... why would he stay? of course, if the person grew up with a victim mentality, he may prefer to keep doing what he's doing, and just complaining that he's being exploited... but that's a whole other story...

I think what he meant was the he makes too much money to need to deal with disgruntled employees... when one makes too much money he does NOT have to share it with others (no matter what the pres. said ;))

NJCanuck, I think you REALLY need to learn what CAPITALISM is. Capitalism is based on EXPLOITATION, I would suggest to read "The Capital" of Marx to understand it.

Yes of course, we are living in a capitalist society, and we see exploitation everywhere, not only in real estate hiring assistants. But the other people that get paid these low wages, they don't need to be paying high fees to maintain a license, to be paying additional classes, seminars, supras, etc. If they need to travel, their companies pay for their traveling expenses. The other jobs they get paid health insurance, unemployment, social security, etc. Are these Realtors that pay $10/hr or $7/hr giving all these benefits to these assistants, and additionally paying them for traveling expenses when they have to show a lot of properties?

ha-ha... this is so funny... why would learn about capitalism from Karl Marx? would you learn about the Jews from Hitler's Mein Kampf?

have you ever tried living in a "communist" society? where there's no exploitation (at least I would assume you think there isn't any there)? I think you could still have a chance in Cuba (though it's starting to change there now, as far as I've heard) or North Korea

you keep avoiding my question, WHY would those people work in these jobs when there are so many other jobs available that pay $10-15 per hour? if no one is forcing them to stay there?

Anyelina,

I would say the same percentage of Realtors pay workman's comp and all required taxes for their employees as any other small business employer. Not all do, but I did when I had an assistant. And in any field, there is a wide range of pay depending on talent. There is no group insurance for Realtors.

When you talk about these other jobs with all the benefits they can get I would suggest that if they were that easy to get they would quit and go get them.

You have a recurring glass half empty type complaint about every aspect of this business. A lot of it is based on what you have heard from some other complainer. I think you should understand that there a lot of different ways that people make this business work. There is a fairly high percentage of failure but you are free do it however you want to. Lots of realtors love their assistants and pay them really well. Some don't, big deal. The biggest lie told to people is that the world is supposed to be fair. It's not.

Because he has been the best person in explaining how capitalism works. You can read also Keynes and Smith, but the base of all the economic books you read, are based on what it has been well explained in that book. And that hasn't anything to do with if I'm communist or not, don't be ridiculous. You just have proven that you need to read more about socio-economics!




HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

See why you really need to read "The Capital"? Did you know that the economic system in cuba is DIFFERENT from what Marx talks about in that book? and actually completely against it? what happens in Cuba is a DICTATORSHIP and there is no freedom there. Your conclusions about this book are based of what others have said of others have said and others have said about Marx and this book, is time to make your own conclusions and stop embarrassing yourself with these statements that only show your ignorance.

But let's not deviate from the original topic of this thread.



I think because they want to get a basic pay PLUS BONUSES AND part of the COMMISSION ALSO. Then that would make more sense.

But if they are not getting any bonuses and commission, only this crap, then I don't know. I can't answer that because they all have different situations and circumstances, that is subjective and differs from person to person. I just personally (AND YES, THIS IS MY OPINION) think is ridiculous to be working for this crap, and still pay high fees for keeping a license, paying classes, seminars, and also for gas expenses. That person just don't value enough.

Now, can you answer: ARE YOU REALTORS PAYING THE RESPECTIVE TAXES, HEALTH INSURANCE, BONUSES, ETC FOR YOUR ASSISTANTS?

Anyelina, you are right, everyone in this business sucks and is out to exploit newbies just like you either by taking all your clients away, or forcing you to be a slave for them.

I would just let my license expire and go find a $20 an hour job and enjoy it.

Anyelina...you have a lot to learn about how business and the world works. Instead of always having a response for everything...try doing what all new agents should do...listen instead of talking. I've tried several times on here to help you with your struggles because I know what its like to struggle in this business, and you always have a response for everything and seem to try to teach me...when I'm the one with the skills and experience you need to learn...as is the case with everyone else you're arguing with here in this thread. They've made it...you haven't. Don't argue...read.

We just hired a full time licensed assistant. We offered $17 an hour. We posted an ad for the position on Craigslist, in 36 hours we had 280 resumes. People who were struggling agents, getting started in the business, people who had backgrounds in other sides of the business, loan & settlement processing, etc. The young man we hired is getting his MBA and just got his license, he wants to learn. He'll be around a couple years then move on...either to full commission sales with us or to something that utelizes his MBA when he gets it, which is fine. Thats how it works.

I don't want my assistant to show houses. Thats what we and our agents do. We want someone to be in the office, process our cases for us, take incoming calls for management repairs, put contracts and listing agreements together, etc. If we wanted someone to show houses...well we wouldn't even pay them anything...thats a commission job.

Its not exploitation...its a job at a fair market wage. Only a fool would pay more than the market value for anything...including an employee.

And you are completely wrong. Not everyone in this business sucks, and not all Realtors want to exploit newbies just by paying them an hourly wage without any additional commission or bonuses. Fortunately there are Realtors that are fair and want to give them this too. And there are a lot that are MENTORS, give personal training to new agents that work under them and they get a cut of the new agent's commission. That's why I still don't understand why there are licensed Realtors that prefer in getting paid only by the hour without getting any bonuses.

If they are doing it for the training, why they don't work under a mentor instead? If they are looking for a basic and fixed income, they should look for those who also gives a cut of all the deals they have worked with and have closed.

You don't understand. Hiring an assistant and mentoring new agents are two totally different things. I don't want my assistant to be an agent, I hired them to be my assistant. I have agents who work for me and I mentor them, give them leads and help them learn the business and become great agents. But...my assistant is an assistant. He assists me. Totally different thing.

I don't give my agents a cut of my commission...I get a cut of theirs...otherwise why have agents work under me? They pay me a portion of their commission in exchange for using my name, using my resources, and getting to learn from me. Thats how this business works.

I did not advertise the position as being that of a real estate agent. My assistant is licensed, but he is not working as a real estate agent. He's just an assistant. He won't get leads, he won't show houses, he won't do open houses. He's going to do the administrative things that I don't have time to do or don't want to do. He needs a license (that I pay for, by the way) so that he can generate agreements and discuss the specifics of homes with consumers. Thats a requirement of the law. Just because someone has a real estate license doesn't mean they have to go sell houses. My wife has a real estate license...and she's in human resources...

Okay, if I can shift the focus of this thread a little bit....as a full time BPO broker who is sometimes overwhelmed with the volume of orders thrown at me at a particulr time, I have tried out a couple of digital assistants...one in a different state, one local that I was able to meet and to provide some training time.

I enquired of my MLS about access to MLS for NON-LICENSED assistant, and they allow such a person access for a fee. This is data entry work, pure and simple.

So my question is, would an off-site non-licensed assistant who works from their home on an as-needed basis, and who also accepts other types of computer work from other types of companies be considered my employee or an independent contractor? Because if she is an employee that makes me liable for employment taxes etc.

I'm not an accountant, but in my experience that would definitely be an independent contractor arrangement.

Learning is not only about listening, is about listening and ASKING QUESTIONS. Those who ask in a classroom are the ones who really learn and think for themselves, and not only swallowing everything without giving it a thought. I'm not trying to teach you, if that's the way you have been taking it, then sorry, but that's not the case. I've been asking a lot of questions and giving solid arguments of that questions, because some of them are contradictory or doesn't make sense to me. And that is nothing wrong with that.



$17/hr is good for a person that is not licensed, but an agent that has to maintain a license, I don't think is fair IN MY OPINION. Anyways, are you offering bonuses too? are you paying the respective taxes, health insurance, unemployment, sick paid days, vacations, etc for these assistant/employees? Do you require to have a license? do you help them in paying their fees to the board? do you help them in paying classes for credits?



I think people decide to work for this because they can't really make a living starting out in this profession. I understand that is hard. And that's why Realtors want to take advantage of it.

"Only a fool would pay more"? I would say, a FAIR person would pay also bonuses and not only an hourly wage.

Asking questions is great, but you have to understand that the professionals here are taking time out of their day to help you. When you argue with the information agents give you when they answer your questions...its extremely frustrating and it makes them no longer want to help you.

The #1 reason top producers don't want to answer newbie's questions is because they don't listen to the wisdom they're given.



But again, a famous saying "Someone with experience is not at the mercy of someone with an opinion".

Who are you to tell me what is or is not fair when it comes to the compensation that I offer my assistant? By your very admission you have never even sold a house. You have no idea the economics at work. Have you ever been an employer? Have you ever owned a business that was not your real estate business? I have owned three successful businesses including my real estate business and have employed dozens people in different capacities in my life. So, keep your opinions to yourself.

Yes we pay the taxes, no health insurance, they get sick days and accrue vacation days. Yes we wanted someone with a license or who was willing to get one, we offered to pay for the classes and pay them for the time required to get one if they didn't have one, but the person we hired had already completed the course just had to sit for the exam. We paid for the exam and his license. He doesn't need to join the board or the MLS, he's not an agent...he just needs a license so he can answer the phone and put together a contract. Thats all.

What does it cost to maintain a license? The fee is $95 every two years. Gotta take 15 hours of CE over that two years, which is routinely taught for like $5 a credit hour... So thats $75. So it costs $85 a year to maintain a license. Big deal.



For someone who is being taken advantage of he sure seems happy with his new job, a job the 279 other applicants would have been happy with too.



The world isn't fair, and the business world is CERTAINLY never fair. Is it fair that 8 Million people in the US lost their jobs over the last 3 years? I'm a small businessperson who has CREATED a job in a recession. So don't tell me I'm not fair.

Its a administrative job that makes an administrative wage. Plenty of people work hourly my friend. What about exempt employees that make a salary and work longer than 40 hour work weeks with no overtime...are they being "exploited" too?

I completely understand that are 2 totally different things. But some have commented that new agents agree to be assistants because THEY WANT TO LEARN. So that's why I mentioned the MENTORSHIP. If a new agent want to learn, then why they don't work under a mentor and give a cut of their commission? you have said it and I highlighted above.


Completely agree, they give you a cut, sorry if I have said it otherwise, my mistake. And again, if a person wants to be an assistant because wants to learn, why they don't work under a mentor instead?



Oh, now that's different! if you are paying that assistant's license, the board fees and paying the classes to get credits in order to renew the license, that's great! that's what I'm talking about. And you are right: having a real estate license doesn't mean have to sell houses. But if that agent is getting paid as an assistant/employee, the boss have to pay the respective taxes for that employee.

Because they need to make a steady living...

And, you will learn a LOT by being a licensed assistant even if you aren't actively showing houses and such. Just being around successful agents, working with contracts, seeing situations arise and whats done to deal with them. Invaluable experience...

So only people that have been employers and with business are the only one with the right to have an opinion? I don't think so. I can have an opinion from an employee's perspective too. That sounds very discriminating.




I said: "If a person wants to be an assistant because wants to learn, why they don't work under a mentor instead?" you said:



I understand that they need to make a steady living. But if you are paying the taxes, their license, etc, etc and paying them $17/hr.. THAT'S GREAT AND VERY FAIR actually! again that's what I'm talking about. When I say exploitation, I'm talking about realtors that don't help to pay their licenses, sick days, vacations, respective taxes, etc. like you do. And those Realtors still want them to show houses and do open houses without helping them for the gasoline! I say this because I have read this requirements on a lot of job ads on craigslist.

I may have an opinion on the applicability of Nuclear fission in the development of new space vehicles too...but that doesn't mean that opinion has any value, or that people who do have a background and experience in such a matter should have to respect my opinion alongside their own.

Thats what the saying I quoted means.



Whether or not you pay the required employer share of taxes and withold depends on whether they are employees or independent contractors.

Like I said before, a license is pretty inexpensive.



If people don't want that job and thats how its advertised, then they shouldn't apply. However if someone posts a job and a specific pay for it in an advertisement, and someone responds to that ad that they want to do that job for that pay...thats not exploitation. Nobody's forcing anybody to do anything.

Employers may be taking advantage of favorable market conditions...but thats what good businesspeople do.

Anyelina,

When ever I try and pronounce your name
I feel like I'm drunk. After I have read
your post's I feel like I have swallowed
a powerful drug.

I must avoid your post's to maintain
my equilibrium.

Again, I'm not giving an opinion as an employer, I'm giving an opinion from the employee's perspective. I'm giving my opinion as a new agent which I am and expressing my concerns about the hourly wage that Realtors offer to pay new agents as an assistants.




I explain in earlier comments what I meant with "exploitation", and has nothing to do in "forcing" or pushing people to do something they don't want. But that will take a complex and endless debate away from real estate.

LoL.. I know I have commented a lot today!
I also feel the same way when I read other's comments too, especially when agents brag, and brag... and brag.. about their lot of experience and the lot of money they are making...

So bad you can't block me like in facebook, huh? but you can avoid it by not coming to this forum.

Glad to see you have a sense of humour and thank
you for the good advice.

When did I call you a communist? Have you read anyone beyond Keynes or Marx? Based on your belief that ALL of the economics books are based on Marx, I would guess that you must have gotten to university in some communist country... Have a look at the Austrian School of Economics... just for general knowledge, if you can open your mind to non-communist ideas, that is... maybe throw off the whole "victimihood" thing... it might help you out in life and in your career...

Yes, also, it generally doesn't make sense to only read about a subject from someone who was against it... hence the reference to Mein Kampf...



You're mistaken, you really do have to try living in a country based on the ideals espoused in the Capital... really... Marx was a philosopher with ideas that were very far removed from reality and human nature... this is why every communist country had to be a dictatorship and most of them didn't allow its citizens to travel out of the country (not to mention all the propaganda about the "decayig West")...

so Anyelina, what's the economic system of Cuba (as I'm sure you're aware that dictatorships are simply a political construct)? what was the economic system of the USSR? who owned the means of production? was private property allowed? why were these countries known as "communist" as opposed to simply "dictatorships"?




what does it matter what they WANT, if they work a wage job? I may want to be the Queen of England, but I'm not... you really need to base your answers in reality (have you read anything by Ayn Rand? [I'm guessing no] Do you know her famous quote "You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."), not in what people may want or what would be better... if that's all you focus on, you will always find yourself the victim in any situation, because the world is unfair (as many here have pointed out to you)

If you personally think this is crap, then you personally won't do it... However someone may think that having the uncertainty of income and the headache of running his own business is crap, and they can't understand why you are doing what you're doing...to each his own, but there's no need to defend other competent adults when no one is forcing them into anything...

I'm not sure why anyone would need to pay taxes, health insurance, bonuses, etc. for an assistant if the assistant is not an employee... if a person qualifies as an employee, then taxes would definitely need to be paid, and I'm sure there are rules for health insurances, etc. bonuses are negotiated when a person is hired, and (thankfully) not mandated by the government... does this answer your question?

Anyelina, quick question, how old are you? You sound like you're around 18-20 years old...

Then don't apply for the jobs those Realtors are advertising. Simple as that.

I can tell you with experience, that PLENTY of people want these jobs. Remember...280 resumes in 36 hours.

NJCanuck, I think would be a great having a debate about socioeconomics with you. I have answers of what you replied but here is not the place to do it. If you want, we can do it via private messages.

And I haven't read any book yet of Ayn Rand (unfortunately!) but have to do it for sure! I only have read general stuff from her, and have listened to few of her statements regarding religions and god. I'm an atheist. Thanks for reminding me of her!




Kind of... but I still don't understand why you think an assistant is not categorized as an employee if that assistant is getting paid with an hourly wage covering a shift? Check out here in the IRS website when someone is an employee.

Why you say so? I probably sound like an annoying complainer but that has nothing to do with age!

Of course I won't apply! lol I was considering in being an assistant but when I saw how much they pay, I was in shock!

But it would be great to ask each one of them why are they really applying, I'm curious to know. How I said, in your case is good because you are paying to keep the license and fees and other benefits you mentioned.

Fees are like $800 a year or even more that have to be paid to the board (here in South Florida), plus the classes that have to be taken to get credits, post license courses plus the fees of license and renewal, and more seminars that are not mandatory but are imperative to take in order to be up to date in contracts, board regulations, laws, etc.

Anyelina,

Whoever told you to read Ayn Rand, just do it. You have a pathologically displaced affection for the miserable collectivist system known as communism, a system that has been proven to be the most putrid and evil economic system in the world, a system based on slavery to the state, a system based on extermination of the individual for the "good" of the collective, but where no "good" is possible.

You offer Karl Marx as an example of good? Are you serious? Here is the only quote you will ever need to know from Karl Marx: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need". If 12 words have ever been assembled into a more evil premise, I'd like to know what they are.

Maybe it's time to apply for a grant to research the psycho-economic dynamics of their motivation. It can't be that they're just hungry.

I just want to make a comment about the thoughts that people with RE licenses should be paid more then $17. I know right off hand about 10 agents that are now working at places such as Walmart, Driving school buses, waitresses, etc. that would jump at a chance to earn $17 an hour being an assistant. And they already have their license and were once fairly successful agents. In fact $17 an hour is to much in my opinion. I'm sure there are some current "full time" agents that don't earn $17 an hour that would probably be interested in being an assitant for that kind of money. As in real estate wages and pay are Location, Location, Location.

That wasn't advertised in the ad. All we said was someone needed to either be licensed, or have the desire to get a license. Most of the applicants already had licenses, or has licenses that were inactive, etc. A lot of people have real estate licenses, people who have never done or tried to do anything with real estate, you'd be surprised.



Look, you don't have to join the board in order to be a licensed agent. You have to join the board to be a member of the board, and to call yourself a "Realtor". Even if you don't belong to the board you can still do everything a Realtor can do because you are licensed as a real estate agent from the state. In our area they can't get a lockbox key because thats owned and controlled by the state. Thats no big deal though because we give them one day codes if they're putting lockboxes on or something like that.

I went to the Florida Real Estate Commission's website...the license is $100.

Seminars? Listen to what Im saying...this person is not a Realtor. They don't need seminars because they have us to tell them what to do and how to do it.

We talked with everyone who we seriously considered about why they applied for the job. Mostly they were young people trying to get started in the business world, some were still going to school at night and things like that, some were Realtors who couldn't make it, some were older people who desperately needed a job.

To echo what ColoBroker said above, he is 100% right. $17 an hour, 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year is $35,360 a year, or $2,946.67 per month. Anyelina, in the time you've been in real estate (I know you've said that you haven't sold a house and have really struggled even with rentals) have you made $2,946.67 NET per month? If not...my assistant makes more than you...so don't feel sorry for them.

I don't understand why you people think I have an affection with communism? just because I suggest to read "The Capital"? I'm not idolizing Karl Marx, I just think he explains what capitalism is and works with extreme detail that is fascinating to read, but of course what he says about communism is just a fantasy, he couldn't really see the flaws with that system and how dangerous can be. Geez, you people can think objectively while reading a book? I have read the bible also and that doesn't make me a god believer or religious fanatic, actually I'm an atheist!

I don't think it would make much sense, as you seem to operate using "wants" and "fair", instead of logical arguments... I don't think we will be able to come to any sort of conclusion...

this is also the reason why I asked about your age... most adults who are able to run their own business think in terms of reality, not how fair/unfair everyone and his dog are... your posts on this forum all come across like questions from a teenager who believes that the world is out to get him... I apologize if I've grossly miscalculated and offended you...




Based on your posts it seems that the only thing in common you would have with her ideas is atheism... however I still highly recommend you read her work (I would recommend Atlas Shrugged, even though it's extremely drawn out, but another good and quick read would be Anthem)




An assistant may or may not be an employee, your link clearly shows that... if an assistant decides when, where and how to do his work, he's clearly NOT an employee, but a contractor... so if an assistant is able to work from home on his own time, and part time hours to boot, how would he be an employee? In any case, this kind of determination would be made by the IRS

Well, I just think that going to all the seminars that the board and the NAR offer is very important. There are A LOT of "experienced" Realtors that have no idea of the new regulations and rules. I can say this because I see it ALL the time just by looking at the MLS and talking to them on the phone and in person. I have seen with my own eyes how a person with 18 years of "experience" in real estate didn't really know how to managed and use completely the MLS and ME, as new agent, explained him how to take the most of the advantage and tools. I still see how Realtors with years of experience still doing things that are ILLEGAL, and you know why they do it? because they DON'T GO TO THE SEMINARS! because they think "they don't need to".

So, if these new agents want to be assistants because they want to learn, I think is imperative to go to the seminars, just by doing what you tell them to do is not enough to learn all what they really need to learn. There is no Realtor that knows EVERYTHING.

And by the way, you say that they don't need to be on the board, that means, you don't need your assistant use the MLS? you don't want them to learn how to use it? wow...

An assistant can absolutely be an independent contractor. I put a great deal of research into this before hiring mine since I didnt want any employees.
Theres a string of criteria qualifying whether the person is an employee or an independant contractor- not one of which is the amount they are paid.

How you got into this conclusion? can you show the appropriate information from the IRS about this? would be great! thanks!

I agree, its important for a Realtor who is practicing real estate and representing clients to keep on top of changes in the laws and changes in the marketplace so they can best serve their clients' interests.

But...read this very carefully MY ASSISTANT IS NOT A REALTOR. They are just an assistant that works in an administrative capacity, who happens to have a real estate license so he can tell people how much a house costs, how many bedrooms and bathrooms it has, set up showings that I can go on, and put together contracts. They do not practice real estate or represent clients. So, they do not need to join the board or participate in seminars or instruction to do what I pay them to do. What I need them to know...*I* will teach them.

How much more clear can I make it?



I don't care if they want to learn, I want them to be my assistant, answer my phone, and file my contracts. Thats all. If they want to go to seminars and such on their own time at their own expense, then fine.

I'm not paying them to be a Realtor or to learn to be a Realtor...I'm paying them to answer the phone and do the crap I'm too busy to do.

If the worker is required to work specific hours, in a specific location, and works with no individual leeway then they are not an independent contractor.

An assistant who works 9-5, must work out of your office, etc cannot be an independent contractor.

Just Google it...

[quote=SWRSDC]
But...read this very carefully MY ASSISTANT IS NOT A REALTOR. They are just an assistant that works in an administrative capacity, who happens to have a real estate license...How much more clear can I make it?
[quote]

You haven't been clear because you have said (and others have said)that they want to be assistants because THEY WANT TO LEARN HOW TO BE A GREAT REAL ESTATE AGENT BY BEING AN ASSISTANT! by working just as a secretary without even using the MLS, the BASIC that a Realtor has to learn? not showing properties, not doing open houses, not doing other basic stuff that a real estate agent should know?

You only have been very contradictory (all of you here). You say they work at home with their own schedule, but how they can really learn this way without the direct supervision of the Realtor?

That's what I think also. I think an independent contractor has the freedom to work when s/he wants to work. An employee follow ORDERS from someone, has to work minimum hours per day and is paid by the hour, not by commission.

My question is: how can someone that wants to learn to become a good real estate agent, can really learn by staying at home without the direct supervision of the experienced Realtor?

Again, I said this because you all have said, that they want to become assistants, because they WANT TO LEARN.

God you are exasperating.

I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY WANT. I need an assistant, not a subordinate agent. I have subordinate agents, and they work on commission and aren't asked to do the duties of an administrative assistant.

Someone who wants to one day be an agent can learn a lot by being my assistant, but my goal in working with them is not going to be to make them a great agent. I need an assistant, not another agent. I'm upfront with people about that too.

One day if my assistant decides they want to leave their steady pay behind and become an agent, if I like them and think they have promise they can leave their position as my assistant and become an agent. But...I'm not going to pay them $17 an hour anymore...I'll hire a new assistant and pay the $17 an hour to them...because I need an assistant.



Again, you're not listening.

My assistant doesn't work at home. He works in our office, 9-5. He is not an independent contractor.

Can someone work in an administrative capacity and be an independent contractor? Of course. They don't have to work at home either, they can work in the office, they just cannot be required to come into the office or to work at specific times. Deadlines can be assigned for their work. This is not an opinion, these are the facts of the matter.



Employees don't have to be paid by the hour, they can be paid a salary or by commission. Lots of commissioned salespeople who receive no base pay are classified as employees by the IRS, not independent contractors.

An independent contractor may be required to work certain hours, yet still be a contractor - example, IT contractors... they come into a company, the usually work business hours, but they pay for their own supplies, and they are free to work in different places at the same time, they get paid per hour, not a salary... the same goes for other contractors, if they have to come into the office for a few hours to answer phones, that does not automatically make them employees...

The point was the if you're an assistant to a realtor, you can learn the industry, you see the contracts, you know what your boss does to get clients, etc. But this is not a position that allows you to start selling... you could leave and start representing clients, but one does not directly lead to another, yet you still learn (just like in any job you learn stuff about the industry you're in)

IT contractors are a little different, the company is hiring the firm of the IT contractor (even if its just one person) to provide a service at a set time. The company does not employ the IT contractor in any way, they are purchasing their services.

For instance a seller doesn't employ the Realtor, they purchase their service. So the seller doesn't need to concern themselves with employment classifications and laws.

These things are also all grey areas, and they are applied incorrectly all the time...

NJCanuck, I thought would have been a good debate but now I see I was wrong. I'm more realist than you think. At least I understand what really "exploitation" means socioeconomically speaking.



You are right, my point is: if the reason of a new agent to work as an assistant is to LEARN how to become a good real estate agent, how can this new agent learn it by staying at home without the direct supervision of the experienced Realtor? without even using the MLS? without showing properties, doing open houses, without being at the office where all the "movement" is?

Also, if the independent contractor can work whenever s/he wants and is being paid by the hour, how is this managed? one day the assistant decide to work 1 hour in the morning, then 2 hours in the afternoon? but is being paid only by the hour? it doesn't make sense.

Right, but at least in Canada you can also work as an independent contractor without having a corporation... The same could be done with an assistant, why not?

God? what god? (just kidding) lol

I understand what you want! and I know you don't care what the assistant wants! you just want a secretary that happens to have a license. I understand! I'm talking about what all of you (all people in this forum) that have implied that new agents apply for the assistant position because they want TO LEARN.

And I understand that your assistant will work at your office, BUT THE OTHERS HAVE SAID THE OPPOSITE, THAT THEY WORK AT HOME and decide to work whenever they want without covering a shift. Now you understand why I said this? is not only what you have said, is what all of you here have said.

my head hurts

right, exploitation has a negative connotation in the english language and generally means taking advantage of someone in some way... you are not using this word correctly, but are using it in a political sense that is generally employed by people who think that the communist approach is correct... this may have been caused by over-reading Marx's works...

you have shown here that your understanding of the world is not grounded in what reality actually is, but in what you think reality should be (you keep using the words "want", "fair", etc. as your justification for whatever you're writing)... I know it's hard for you to abstract yourself from that, but if you just give it a try everything would make a bit more sense and you won't see yourself as a victim anymore... it will improve your life greatly




Do you see how what you are writing makes no sense? And if the reason for a new agent to work as assistant is to BECOME a pilot, how can this new agent do that? If the person does not understand the job correctly and applies for it for the wrong reasons, it is his problem, and he is free to correct as soon as he realized his mistake... generally, if a person is hired by someone, that person has access to whatever tools he needs to do his job, otherwise it would make no sense for him to be hired, do you agree?





No, and independent contractor cannot decide to work random hours, he has to complete the work he was retained to do... it's like saying that what if a realtor decided that he wants to take a month off... theoretically he could, but practically he would not fulfill his responsibilities (even though he's a contractor), therefore he could not do that practically...

sigh... this is like a car wreck, I should just keep going, but I can't... actually, I'm much better at not rubbernecking when I drive than I am on forums...

1. only those who apply for jobs know WHY they did it, and generally they do it for their own benefit, not to help someone out of the goodness of their heart, so it obviously works for them

2. different assistants work in different ways, depends on the needs of the person using their services...

Anyelina, This conversation highlights something you need to hear. If you remain in this victim based reality you will NEVER make a living selling real estate. The way you twist everything around and look for the worst in each situation, is not the skill set it takes to be a successful Realtor. It is exactly opposite of what you need to do.

Everyone is free to run their business as they see fit. What you think about how they do it doesn't matter to anyone but you. If yo apply the same logic to the real estate transaction that you do to these conversations, you will alienate every seller and buyer that you ever come in contact with.

Everyone this is nothing more than a TROLL topic.

Life is too short to expand on a bunch of rubbish.

Anyelina it sounds like you need to sign up for a debate team more than be a broker/agent.

As they say in "Shark Tank" for this topic "I'm Out".

In short, what you are saying is better being optimistic, not realist.

Funny that you guys are portraying me as a victim, you got this conclusion based on what I said of exploitation? really?

This thread takes on a life of it's own every hour.
Our Florida agent evidently doesn't remember that the State of Florida has specific laws regarding what an assistant can do (even split by licensed or unlicensed) and how that assistant must be paid (whether by the agent or by the broker). In addition if an agent hires a licensed assistant that licensed assistant MUST (in almost every local board) be a board member.

I personally would not hire a licensed assistant for two reasons:
1. I don't need them to do any work that requires a license, and
2. If they "want to learn to be a good Realtor" by working with my propriatary information, nothing is stopping them from leaving and taking my contacts with them.

Put down your Marx and Engles soon please.

I'm ready for a appointment with Freud after reading this.

I have learned a lot here in this forum and one of my techniques is to ask and argue, ask and argue, dig all what I can to see what you all have to say and learn about it. I'm not a person that just "swallow", I think for myself and get my own conclusions. I know who I am and you don't know. The same way I can't know how you really are just by reading all your comments on this forum. So I think you should stop thinking you know me and act like you are psychologists here, ok?

I am grateful for all the advice and suggestions I have received, but I have to say that I have read threads that I haven't even participated in, and all of you brag, and brag, and brag, to show the others who has more experience, who has more knowledge, who is the best Realtor. You are happy in judging me as the victim and judging me with other remarks, but I think you have to look at yourselves first.

This pretty much sums it all up.

Just a note on the bragging. I am definitely bragging at times and do not apologize for it. I am a fantastic agent with a wealth of experience, great ideas, fantastic creativity, and am terrific at solving problems. A client is LUCKY to have me for their agent. (And I am lucky to have myself for living a life on this planet.) I will lead them to correct decisions and maximize their value during a transaction. Am I the best agent in the United States? Probably not, but I am right up there. There is nothing wrong with bragging if you back it up and get the job done in superlative fashion, or at the very least, with superlative effort.

And by the way, a good amount of credit for my personality and philosophy goes to Ayn Rand. While I could never achieve her impossibly high standards, they represent an ideal that I attempt at all times to attain. If I only achieve 60% integration of her philosophy and ideals, it puts me in the top 1% of all human beings with respect to ability to function in the real world.

Atlas Shrugged should be required reading for all agents, and all humans. It will not only make you better, it will place you with the best. But only if you are introspective enough to see how deficient you are and are willing to undertake the monumental effort to pull yourself out of the black hole of bad philosophy that you have been fed since the day you were born.

Don't be so modest navarac!
LOL...jk...I tend to be the same and I dont really care if it bothers other agents.
Hey Anyelina- take a note. When you're self employed - no one toots your horn for you. Thers no award ceremonies or special plaques. No boss to award you an "emplyee of the month" gift certificate. If you dont let your clients know what you will do for them - they simply wont know and they'll hire someone else who will.
You know Ive noticed many top producers tend to have a certain degree of ego-mania going on. Just figured it was the nature of the beast.

I throw in the towel Anyelina...best of luck to you.

Navarac: Actually I think you are one of the most (if not the only one) that brings always SOLID arguments in what you say and I respect that a lot. I would love to have a mentor like you, really. But I know, probably you don't want an agent like me but that's ok, I just want to say that. I agree in almost everything you say because it MAKES MORE SENSE what you say than what others have said in this whole forum (other threads I have read that I haven't even participated, just read). I'm going to start reading Any Rand, sounds very interesting definitely.

Minna: I understand what you say, I have been self-employed for about 10 years. Also,I understand that ego-mania you talking about too. I have met a lot like that.

Steve: I appreciate you have taken the time in answering all my comments on this thread and the others, thanks for your patience and being respectable. You have given me great insights and now I understand more things that I was very skeptical and confused about. Thanks!!

I think that 15 dollars an hour will draw a big crowd in todays economy. Pick the one that works best, not necessarily the one with the most qualifications. You want to hire someone who will learn your systems and stick around for awhile.

This is my very first post in the forum, and I'm hoping to learn a lot here. This post caught my eye for a few reasons:

- I obtained my RE salesperson license in 2004 with no prior RE knowledge
- I started as an assistant to one of the most respected and knowledgeable brokers in Hawaii. He has been a "top producer" consistently for the last 30 years or so - not your fly-by-night rookie who blazes like a shooting star and disappears just as quickly
- I was paid $12.50/hr to start (no commission structure)
- No insurance benefits, paid sick/vacation time, etc.

The knowledge that I gained in working with him has proven invaluable. His work ethic, strong sense of integrity, communication skills, and intense commitment to his clients are things with a higher intrinsic worth than the actual monetary compensation that I received. Because those skills and habits I learned in the 2 years that I was with him have enabled ME to achieve a much higher level of success with my own career than I otherwise could have gained in starting out in the business on my own.

These are some of the "benefits" I received that on the job, that NO newbie could dream of achieving within their first year:
- The opportunity to work on 30+ transactions per year
- Worked on a few commercial and lots of high-end residential sales
- Going to exclusive social events to learn from and "rub elbows with" some of the top producers in Hawaii
- Learned how to handle different situations and difficulties that can arise and threaten a transaction

In the end, I was earning $15/hr with a commission structure that I was very happy with. But I had to prove myself capable and valuable to him before that could happen. When it came time for me to venture out on my own, we were both very sad, but I had outgrown the "nest" and I was ready to test my wings. I didn't feel scared, intimidated or inexperienced - all feelings that I had had when I walked out of the DCCA office with my crispy new license. I felt empowered, knowledgeable and confident that I could handle my own business.

(A note on benefits:) Insurance is expensive, and until the insurance companies give ALL of us Realtors reasonably priced options, this is a boat we are all in. I was lucky enough to have a husband whose job covered me and my son. With regards to vacation and sick pay, this was one area that I was not happy with. I voiced my concerns, and I was able to negotiate for 10 days a year of paid days off (for me to use at my discretion).

To this day, we are very close, and I will occasionally call him for advice. (I'm at different brokerage firm than he is)

I hope this sheds some light on the question, and I feel that both sides of the argument have very valid points, but are missing the bigger picture: that an assistant can START at one end of the pay structure and END on the other - once they have proven themselves. Also that the potential benefits can be INVALUABLE (or should I say incalculable?) to both parties.

But! But! I want it all NOW as if I AM proven, experienced, and valuable!

I am a very methodical person, and if you want to determine whether or not something is effective, you have to do an "experiment." This is how I would do it if I were you:

1) Figure out how much you can commit to pay an assistant every month - without fail. Do not be optimistic - be realistic. Someone will be relying on you to pay for their time, and have children or their own financial commitments to meet.

2) Multiply that monthly budgeted amount by 6 and put aside 6 months' worth of the assistant's pay. Do not touch it for any reason other than to pay your assistant. This will relieve the mental stress of worrying if you have enough to cover their salary every month. It will also help you to focus on the overall picture of their performance, without worrying if you have a slow day, or even a slow week.

3) Sit down and determine which tasks are tedious, repetitive, or time consuming for you. Remember that these will not be the same for everyone. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Just think of all of the tasks that you dread doing, are slow at, or procrastinate with. Chances are, your time would be better spent NOT doing those things. Find someone who can do it faster. Time, after all, equals $$$ right? :) Basically, make a list of your weaknesses - we all have them! For my boss, his weakness was the computer - he couldn't turn the damn thing on! He typed painfully slow (one finger tap-tap style), but he was an eloquent speaker and great salesman. He would dictate all emails and letters to me. Since I type close to 70 WPM, we could accomplish together in 5 minutes what would otherwise take him an hour and a half to do. Was paying me $1.80 for 5 minutes of my time worth saving him a 1.5 hours of his? I'll let you decide that! :)

4) Create an ideal schedule of what you want your assistant's day to be. My day used to look something like this:
8:00: Check and respond to all emails (client inquiries taking top priority)
9:00: Print MLS hotsheet and search for anything that might meet our buyer's needs
10:00: Check on active escrows, orders, etc.
11:00: Set up viewing appointments for my broker to take clients to preview
12:00: Lunch
1:00 - 5:00: A variety of tasks including:
- Print up listing folder materials
- Work on flyers, ads, marketing for listings
- Cold calls
- Property management items
- Scan/shred old closed files that were only in hard copy
- Update website content/tweets/facebook
- Any special projects that he wanted to work on
- Showing properties to buyers (rare)

5) Take the list of duties and tasks that you created in step 3, and create a job posting based on those tasks. Be honest what they can expect to do as your assistant. Do not create a false expectation that they will be doing the high-action things that they see done on those RE reality TV shows. It will be lots of honest, hard work. I would, however, mention that there is lots of room to grow and obtain valuable experience.

6) Interview those who reply and outline the job, and introduce the basic daily schedule to them. Those who feel that they are above performing those tasks, or are already very familiar with them will decide at that point that they are not the right fit for the position, and are probably better off doing their own sales. A new agent will not be too experienced in these tasks, and that's okay - because that's what you're looking for. At this time, I would let them know that this is a 6 month position, and if all goes well, they will continue in the position. They understand that it's basically a 6 month probation period. This is important, because it does not obligate you to keep them longer than you have budgeted. Even most large corporations have this sort of a stipulation when they hire people.

7) Hire the best person for the job. You need to have a good working chemistry with that person - you will be seeing them everyday! However, do not base it only on how well you get along - be sure that they have at least one good solid job reference and possess at least basic computer knowledge.

8) Commit to it!! Teach them exactly how you want things done, then let them DO IT!!! The hard thing will be to fight the urge to double check or redo their work. The point is for you to let those tasks go. So let them go!! I've seen lots of assistant/broker relationships fail because the broker simply cannot let things go. By nature, I think we are control freaks (we have to be!) but if you find someone who you can trust, then let them do their job. They are helping you have more time with your family, on vacation, and living life. There is no sense in paying someone to do the work that you are going to repeat later.

9) Unless things go completely south, stick through the entire 6 month process. If you have a slow week, or even a slow month, that is when you will need your assistant the MOST!! You now have two bodies to bring in business. Have them cold call, call past clients, send emails - whatever they have to to get people into your office. Since you've set aside their pay, there is no reason to stress about having a slump. This is really when you should see the advantages of an assistant in helping you GET MORE BUSINESS!!

10) At the end of the 6 month process, it should be very clear if the assistant has been helpful to your business. Look at your previous months' sales, and see how they compare to the same months last year. One of a few scenarios should be apparent:
(1) Sales are significantly higher than last year - Conclusion: assistant is worth keeping. Advise them that they are permanently hired, and consider a commission structure if they have proven to be invaluable (and you don't want to lose them to someone who will "appreciate them" more). Also consider offering time off, benefits, insurance, etc.
(2) Sales are not significantly higher than last year - Conclusion: assistant is probably not worth keeping.
(3) Sales are lower than last year - Conclusion: Fire your assistant right away!

11) If you find yourself in either situation 2 or 3, you really have to ask yourself if there were other factors involved. There can be so many things that can potentially affect your sales. Try to envision your sales without those other circumstances.


Hopefully at the end of this experiment, you will be singing the praises of having an assistant. It's a win-win situation for everyone. Just remember to be CLEAR and UPFRONT with your expectations. Communication and finding the right "match" here is critical. Find someone who plays a strong game in your weak ones.

Hope this has helped!! Good luck...

One last note: My tasks included updating/adding MLS info and doing showings. Also, my broker paid for my E&O insurance to cover everything I did. If he ever got hit with a lawsuit (never happened), all of my actions and communications would have been covered. Because our work was so intermingled, he didn't want to take the chance of hiring a non-licensed person. I think board rules vary from state to state, but in Hawaii they are very strict. The cost of a lawsuit can be much higher than the cost of paying a licensed individual and E&O. I would ask an attorney in your state before making such a decision.

He also paid for my MLS, board fees, and CE classes. We agreed that if/when I decided to leave and start doing my own independent sales, I would reimburse him for the remainder of the year's fees that he'd paid.

Nice posts! If you ever want to move to Atlanta and go back to being an assistant let me know!